The Lion's face was cold as he wiped blood from his sword, an extremely low pressure enveloping him, making him unapproachable.
Nearby, bodies were either cut in half at the waist or cleaved by a single sword stroke, with the only surviving Chaos Space Marine having been spared by the Lion's mercy.
What happened?!
The Chaos Space Marine's mind was completely blank; his memory only went as far as the moment he and his brothers charged forward.
Then... they were instantly killed.
Even with the Space Marine's enhanced vision, he could barely perceive the guy's movements!
In almost a single encounter, they were routed by the opponent as if he were cutting melons and vegetables; the entire process was nothing short of a one-sided slaughter!
"Now, I ask, you answer."
The Lion's gaze was fierce and sharp, like a heavy hammer striking the survivor's heart.
"Where is this place? And who are you?"
The heavily wounded Chaos Space Marine stared intently at the Lion, and upon noticing the ancient armor he wore, he seemed to recall something, his pupils suddenly contracting.
"I think I've seen this emblem somewhere... Is this the Dark Angels' insignia? Are you from the Dark Angels Legion? No, no, that's not right, they don't have time to deal with what's happening here right now. Who exactly are you?!"
A cold glint flashed in the Lion's eyes. He suddenly extended his five fingers, gripping the Space Marine's throat, lifting him like a child, and asked in a low voice.
"What did you say? What happened to the Dark Angels?"
"Cough cough—cough cough—"
The Chaos Space Marine's eyes were bloodshot, and he struggled desperately, but the five fingers gripping his throat were like hydraulic clamps, unmoving.
No matter how he struggled or kicked the Lion, the opponent remained as unyielding as a towering mountain.
"Speak!"
Regarding the Dark Angels, his own sons, the Lion uncharacteristically lost his patience, his pupils burning with intense killing intent.
"They—they are going to die!" The Space Marine struggled frantically, but his eyes showed a hint of twisted amusement and mockery.
"Caliban—is about to be destroyed by the great Chaos Warmaster. Those madmen are about to—to plunge into the abyss of Chaos with the Rock!"
Chaos Warmaster?!
The Lion sharply caught the word 'Warmaster,' and immediately, his fury flared, as if his reason had been shattered, seeing again the person who had set the entire galaxy ablaze and personally destroyed all their efforts.
"Horus—is he still alive?!"
"Ho-Horus?"
This time, it was the Chaos Space Marine's turn to be bewildered.
What era was this? Horus had been dead for ten thousand years; who didn't know that the current Chaos Warmaster was the ever-victorious lord Abaddon?
Wait—the Chaos Space Marine's pupils constricted, then he looked at the Lion, his gaze inching downwards.
The Dark Angels emblem, ancient armor, immense height, crushing combat power—finally, a terrifying thought emerged from his mind.
"You, you are—the Primarch, Lion El'Jonson?!" the Chaos Space Marine exclaimed.
Other than this possibility, he truly couldn't imagine anyone else who could meet the above conditions.
"Indeed, I am the Lord of the First Legion, Father of the Dark Angels, the Emperor's eldest son, Lion El'Jonson!" The Lion admitted his identity without hesitation, his gaze incredibly oppressive, as if he wanted to devour this damned, shameful traitor alive.
"Ha, hahahaha."
However, upon hearing the Lion's introduction, the Chaos Space Marine showed no fear; his face, flushed from lack of oxygen, was laughing wildly.
"What are you laughing at?!"
The Lion grew increasingly furious, slowly applying more pressure.
"Ugh ah ah—" The Space Marine struggled painfully, but the mockery and sarcasm in his eyes grew even stronger. Despite being on the verge of death, he continued to taunt the Lion.
"I'm laughing at you, Lion? A Primarch? Lord of the Dark Angels?
Hahahahaha—it's too ridiculous. It's no longer the age of the Primarchs. Even if you return, what good will it do? The great lord Warmaster will lead the black Legion to flatten Caliban—and you, Primarch, the Corpse-Emperor's eldest son, will only be able to mourn and weep over your powerlessness in the ruins, witnessing the destruction of the First Legion with your own eyes!"
"No, traitor."
The Lion's furious gaze was like a chilling winter day. He said, word by word.
"My coming home will be your nightmare, and as for the Warmaster you speak of, I will personally go and cut off his head!"
With that, the enraged Lion swung his fist without hesitation, utterly blasting the head of this audacious Chaos scum who dared to provoke him!
Bodies lay scattered, reflecting the Lion.
In the sunset gradually sinking into the desert, he looked like a solitary yet stubborn old man.
"It's time to go."
A hint of urgency entered the Lion's tone.
His sons, the Dark Angels Legion, and the current Rock fortress, were under siege by Chaos. This made the Lion, who had awakened with guilt, even more anxious.
Currently, their first priority was to determine the location of this world and how far it was from the Rock!
Secondly, they needed to find a battleship.
Seeing the Lion's anxious expression, Merlin touched his nose and humbly said.
"Lord Lion, regarding a battleship, you don't need to worry too much. I have a cruiser here; it should be enough."
"You?" The Lion frowned slightly, scrutinizing him for a few moments, then said helplessly.
"I know you're a Rogue Trader, but your battleship is too far from here to be of any use."
"No, what I mean is, I can produce a battleship right now." Merlin shook his head and smiled.
"But there's still a small 'problem' that needs to be resolved."
"Now? Here?"
The Lion was stunned, but then, regardless of whether it was true or not, he quickly asked.
"What problem?"
"Uh—."
Merlin felt a bit guilty.
The 'battleship' he referred to was naturally not the 'Excalibur,' but the Mars-class cruiser—the 'Holy Flame Arbiter'—his exclusive flagship, built for him by Overlord Sentinel Prime!
The problem was that this battleship was docked in another world, and bringing it to the main Warhammer Universe not only required a huge amount of energy but also had one crucial point!
"You—you wouldn't mind if I had a slight 'heretical' tendency, would you?" Merlin shrank his neck, awkwardly defending himself.
"You know, I'm a Rogue Trader, I often come into contact with those heretics, so it's understandable if there's a little heresy on board, right?"
The Lion frowned, his tone serious.
"I'm not as rigid as you imagine. When Father established the Rogue Traders, he considered this point, so rest assured, my Lion's magnanimity isn't that small. I won't hold you accountable for a mere bit of heretical behavior!"
"That's good, you said it!"
With the Lion's promise, Merlin was completely relieved, saying with a hidden meaning.
"You are a Primarch, the Emperor's eldest son, you wouldn't go back on your word, would you?"
"Nonsense!"
The Lion grew impatient.
"When have I, Lion El'Jonson, ever gone back on my word? Rest assured, no matter what heretical behavior, I will not pursue it!"
Alright, that guarantee is enough!
Merlin was satisfied. With the Lion's assurance, he no longer had to worry.
The 'Trinity Machine Spirit,' the true 'Tech-Priests' composed of Transformers, the anti-psyker runes inscribed by the Eldar, the living metal scarabs of the Necrons, and the bottom layer of the Devourer slaves, Olsen's Dark Angels Penitent Crusade—every single one of these things almost broke every Imperial law imaginable!
If he hadn't cleared it beforehand, Merlin was genuinely afraid that the Lion, in his fury, might beat him to death!